Resistance
by Abiss
Summary: He was the head of the revolution, had countless spies among the Fire-nation, some even said he had the spirits at his beck and calls… But what did they know about him? What laid underneath the piece of fabric that covered half his face? Why, how was he so young?
1. Chapter 1

Ren was, once again, angry at the so called 'leader of the Revolution.' Why was Hantu always leaving him behind? He could bet on the fact the kid wasn't even half his age - and therefore hadn't half his wisdom and experience - and he knew he could do those missions! How could the others accept his decisions so easily?

The mission was easier said than done; They needed to infiltrate a Fire-nation base.

-"I'm gonna beat the shit out of him and he'll see if I'm not trained enough to infiltrate the base of those filthy Fire-scum!" he muttered with venom.

All those who heard his words had something to say . Some laughed as if mocking him – which didn't help his temper - while others – probably having already been through that phase - grew paler. One of the latter came up to him; she wore a serious, but understanding, expression.

-"Believe me, you don't want to provoke him," she opened calmly.

-"Why? He's just a kid, what does he even know about the war? He is always hiding behind this council of his! I bet he doesn't even know half of what he says means!" A small chuckle broke him out of his rant. Ren glared murderously at his new company which - he was satisfied to notice - dulled her glee a little.

-"Seriously? You really don't know what you're talking about, do you?" The woman said, grinning again. "That 'kid' as you call him could kill you before you even knew he was there... He didn't gain his notoriety by sitting about, dully following the orders given to him, no, he accomplished everything by himself, reigniting a dying hope and unifying every nation to end the war. That council is the proof even infallible masters can trust him, and far from protecting him, they may be the ones who actually push him the most." Ren was not impressed.

-"And how would you know that? You saw it?" Ren was pissed. He refused to be manipulated by those guys, he joined the Revolution because he wanted to fight against the Fire-nation bastards, and the Revolution, with its incredible victories, seemed to have a chance to defeat them. He had heard what a great warrior their leader was, said to be in tune with the spirits themselves and to be as proficient at strategy as at fighting! And that profiency could only be incredible, considering the threat the Revolution proved to be to the Fire-nation! But now he was there, angrily yelling at a brat, a mere boy, for not sending him on a mission… What, by the spirits, went wrong? Well at least they were probably not lying about the 'as proficient at fighting as at planning' thing, the boy clearly can't do either! Smirking wryly at the thought, he refocused on the woman who didn't seem that amused all of sudden. What happened? Until then she just seemed to mock him… Seeing the girl - she still hadn't given him her name- hadn't answered, he tried again, more curious than angry, now. "You weren't there, were you?" His voice was hesitant.

After enough time that he thought she wouldn't answer him, enough that he was ready to snap at her again, she actually –finally! - talked.

-"…You're not the only one who thought like that… When I first joined, I made the same mistake… Well…" She paused, her eyes seeming haunted by memories, and really bad ones at that. However, she continued, her voice cheering a little, sporting a strange, solemn –dare he say maternal?- tone. "I'm now more than ready to give my life for him."

Ren looked at her strangely; what was wrong with her? She seemed frankly bipolar! Did the kid - or one of his worshippers he thought gloomily - brainwash her…? That thought unsettled him. Was it why there were so many people who stood for his cause? It kindamade sense… But why wouldn't they brainwash everyone when they join? To attract other people was his first thought, after all, the girl apparently fought against the council, and there's only a slight minority who blanched when he thought out loud… If they brainwashed everyone, people would be able to tell and they wouldn't join anymore… But what was the objective of all that? Just thinking about it sent shivers down Ren's spine… He'd just discovered something awful…

Worse…

Not knowing who the brainwashed were, he couldn't trust anyone to help him put them down… His eyes widened in horror; what was he going to do?

* * *

The new recruit seemed shocked, what was wrong with him? Why was he acting like he just saw a ghost? Seemingly suddenly aware of her gaze on him, said man didn't just run but bolted out of sight…

Confused, the woman watched him scarper until he disappeared around a corner.

Recruits… They get stranger and stranger every month…

* * *

Ren didn't know what to do, he pushed his way into the dormitory room and went for his assigned bed, looking frantically around him in search of the 'zombified' rebels. What was he gonna do, what could he do? He was frantic and felt helpless about the situation. The only thing that could be done to break the spell the boy put on the rebels must be to kill him, wasn't it? Yeah, all he had to do was to kill the boy... Easy, right?

…

Or not… Hantu was only a kid, could he live with himself after that?

But it was for a good cause, so it was the right thing to do, wasn't it? The Revolution needed to be aware of the danger its small boss represented! And, if the boy had such power, did it mean the whole council was zombified too? Probably… That way he could bring more and more people to his cause… The whole thing could run far deeper than that… Ren shivered. Yes, he had to kill the boy no matter what!

A grim expression settled onto his face as he prepared mentally for what he would do when a traitorous thought passed through his mind… What if he destroyed the Revolution? It was the only thing standing between his beloved kingdom and those Fire-nation jerks… Maybe it wasn't a great idea to do that now… After all Hantu was currently helping the world with the Revolution, so maybe waiting a little more wouldn't hurt them, would it?

Then he thought of his wife waiting for him at the surface… Were there people who didn't want to be there? Did he zombify people into the Revolution - at least at the beginning - to gain strength and power? The mere thought chilled him to the very core – a tiny part of his mind was annoyed at the alarming number of times he had actually been frightened by the child in the span of minutes. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to forget his wife and his life, his whole life just because a boy wanted to play the hero. He had to do it.

There was no choice.

He had to do it, now.

* * *

Zuko sighted, today wasn't a good day, the enemy had managed to somehow discover a part of the hidden tunnels under Omashu and blow it up, killing a dozen of his men, and while they could consider themselves lucky to have lost so little of their workforce with the impressive explosion, he couldn't help but feel guilty… He was the one who sent them here, he should have seen it coming, the enemy was more and more frantic in their search, especially near the greatest towns of the Earth-kingdom, Ba Sing Se and Omashu.

He considered this blow as a defeat.

He sighed.

Today was definitely not a good day.

A light knock broke him from his reverie, he tightened the band before his left eye and absentmindedly called the person in.

A brown-haired man who seemed to be in his late twenties entered. He was obviously stressed and bowed to him nervously.

-"Sir, ther-", began the young man, head still bowed, clearly intimidated by his leader. It made Zuko smirk slightly, the situation improving his mood a little.

-"Call me Hantu, I'm not nearly old enough to be called 'sir.'" The fourteen year old boy interrupted him with a smirk on his lips, but an expression of disgust as the word 'sir' left his mouth. "And stop bowing, we aren't in the army!"

The young man looked up in surprise before looking away and blushing furiously, embarrassed at himself.

-"I... uh… Yes, si- I mean- Hantu." He said quietly, still not looking at him.

When the silence stretched and the man started to wriggle in front of him, Zuko raised his eyebrows.

-"Weren't you gonna said something? You know the reason why you came here in the first place, right?" He asked, half amused, half confused – he was having that much of an effect on people?

He didn't think the man could be much redder but he proved him wrong…

-"I… Th… There is that man –Ren I think- who wants to see you, saying he doesn't approve of your leadership." He answered, still not looking at him but a little more at ease.

Oh? So that's why he came? Maybe that man could prove himself to be interesting and lift him from his bad mood? After all it's happened before, people who turned against him because of his age or his unknown past, and it was always really interesting.

-"Well, I'd best meet him then, where is he?"

* * *

Zuko followed the man, Turi -a waterbender as it seemed by the way he moved- to see the disgruntled man. The long stony hallway led onto an equally stony cavern, almost making him whine; sometimes he was tired of all that stone and longed for the outside world, and the sun… Especially the sun…

No matter what he wondered the man would look like he clearly didn't expect to see the field of flying stones that greeted him. A cloud of shards flew towards them. He narrowly avoided them, wincing slightly when he saw Turi hadn't. The activity in the cavern seemed to stop, people looking at them with surprise. Then the surprise turned to shock and rage at the earthbender threatening their leader.

Zuko glanced at the form lying in front of him; most of the stones were flying his way, Turi didn't seem too badly injured but hell if he was going to lose another of his men today! Dropping into his 'Earth-kingdom-style' stance he blocked and broke the stones whirling him, missing the almost aerial grace of his Blue-spirit persona who would have been a lot more helpful. But he was Hantu right now, he couldn't afford to do what Hantu couldn't. He was getting closer and closer to the earthbender he could see in the middle of the cave. When he saw an opening, he leapt at the earthbender, his knife pressing to the attacker's jugular.

-"Stop it, now." It wasn't yelled nor was it said particularly loudly but in the sheer silence that had felt on the cavern, the world took a strength that Zuko didn't expect. But he was seething and as long as his words had the intended impact, he didn't mind being threatening.

He needed to save his men from danger, all of them.

* * *

Ren gulped, Hantu behind him, holding a knife at his neck and talking with a voice so cold, Ren dropped the stones without even thinking twice about it.

-"Lino, Kamoru, take Turi to the infirmary." The leader barked the order at two Water-tribe men.

-"No, I… Uh… I'm fine, sorry." Turi spoke from the floor, a slight bit shaken and holding his arm which was bleeding, but not too profusely.

Ren winced slightly, he didn't think the young man would be hurt in the fight. Well, it was hardly much of a fight, but he had to stay optimistic. He looked away in shame, thanking Oma and Shu for not having harmed him more than what seemed to be a few scratches and scaring him.

-"I still want you to go to the infirmary." Hantu said a little more calmly. "As for you..." He fixed his attention on Ren and forced the knife a little deeper into his neck. "Tell me exactly what you thought attacking me and harming one of my men doing so was going to bring you."

-"I…Uh…" Ren suddenly thought he was very foolish, how could he have not taken the woman's word for what it was, the truth? He thought that because Hantu was a child, he could beat him easily, and that he was not dangerous at all, but of course he was! He was the head of one of the most respected institutions, how could he not be dangerous! Now, Ren could see why people trusted him in a fight, but he still didn't understand why they wanted him to lead them, but now thought that maybe the boy wasn't as dishonest as he'd imagined.

-"Kill him! I'm sure it's a Fire-nation spy!" came a voice from somewhere in the cavern, followed by supporting shouts from everywhere at once.

Ren was first frozen, shocked, but then rage seemed to boil in his veins, how could they say that? They didn't know him! How could they-

He was thrown to the floor by Hantu, which effectively calmed the crowd down, thinking their need for blood would be quelled. Ren's throat tightened, feeling his end was close, Ren steeled himself and gritted his teeth.

-"I asked you a question, and I expect an answer." Hantu was looking down at him.

-"Hantu, you don't need his answer, you saw it yourself, he is a traitor!" No one noticed how Hantu stiffened at that.

-"I'M NOT!" Screamed Ren. "I'm not, you have to believe me! I thought… I… I'm sorry." His voice was pitiful.

* * *

Zuko gritted his teeth, why were they using such words as 'traitor', huh? The memory of his father still burned sharp in his memory. No, he couldn't think about it right now, he needed to focus on the present. The present where a crowd tried to lead him to murder someone in cold blood just for speculation… Justified speculation but still…

Then the man screamed he wasn't a traitor and begged him to believe him… Definitely not a good day…

Trying to calm himself down, Zuko mused on what could have brought the guy -Ren, as said Turi - to try and kill him, it couldn't be only for his young age, could it? Wait, Ren? He had seen this name not so long ago… Where was it? Then he remembered, the mission! The guy had volunteered but Zuko dismissed him because he still didn't know his capacity! Well, now the guy had proved himself to be a good earthbender, not many could bend that much earth at once, it could be useful.

Provided that he was actually on their side of course…

Then the man shocked him by getting onto his hands and knees and bowing to him.

-"I was wrong, I lay my life into your hands only, I'm not a traitor and I… I thought I was doing the right thing… I'm sorry." Zuko looked at him with wide eyes, a part of his mind screamed at them all for making him remember the worst day of his life, another part could only respect the man for accepting responsibility for his wrong doing. Once he recovered, he couldn't help but laugh, almost maniacally.

Ren looked up at him wide eyed, and the forgotten crowd was also looking strangely at their leader, what was happening to him? Then Zuko talked, breaking the heavy silence.

-"Tell me… Tell me why we should kill him." This was addressed to the crowd, but he looked at Ren in front of him, the poor man seemed utterly terrified…

After a little moment of uneasy silence, Zuko continued.

-"If he were to be a Fire-nation spy, he would be useful to us alive, am I right?" Seeing that no one dared to answer, he strengthened his voice, his one eye still piercing through Ren. "Am I right?" The crowd agreed, albeit reluctantly. "Then, if he isn't with the Fire-nation, which I think is true, he would still be better alive, am I right?" Once again the crowd murmured its agreement. "So… Explain to me, why should I kill him?" The utter silence that followed the question was all one needed to know the answer. Or, more accurately, the lack of one.

"You thought you were doing right." That was a statement and something snapped within Zuko, but he held it together, not now, he couldn't break now, the man would die. "You think a kid can't fully understand the evils of war, he can't handle leading a whole organization." It became almost too much for him to bear, almost. "You think I can't be the leader the world needs, huh? You think that I can't end the war." Zuko's composure was crumbling, but he couldn't, wouldn't show weakness! "You're right. I can't." He took a deep gulp of air, "But all of us, together, we can. So either you join us or you can get out." Then he broke eyes contact, looking at the crowd, glaring at them. "It would be best for everyone to remember that! We need to be Fire-nation is, they act together and we all know where it led us. They won. For a hundred years." A lot of people stared at him, wanting to protest but every last one of them knew, they knew about the division of the Earth-kingdom, they knew that, no matter what seemed to happen, the Tribes and the Kingdom never helped each other, seemingly retaining grudges from before the war. And more importantly, they knew that last statement was true. No one spoke, but all knew the irrefutable truth.

"Now is the time for us to turn the tide."

Zuko shut his eyes for a moment, not enough for them to notice. "I won't be the cause of yet another death." He promised himself in a whisper.

He was positive no one heard it.

He walked back to is quarters, without even a last glance to the man at his feet.

He felt empty.

If that guy thought he was doing something good while he was actually doing wrong, how could he know what he was doing was good? Was his nation right? Was the Earth-kingdom and Water-tribe right? Were they all wrong? Then what was right?

What is right, Uncle?

* * *

Ren was on his knees begging the kid – no, Hantu - to understand him, understand why he did this, he just wanted to protect the people! And he still believed the kid had some power of his own. He shuddered. Maybe the rumor were true? He was connected to the spirits? Or was he himself a spirit?

Then the teen laughed. Ren was frozen and looked at him, terrified. He was a spirit, that's for sure! No one could be that terrifying with just a laugh!

Then he caught something in the eyes of the leader… Was it… was it desperation? The kid –Hantu- suddenly looked worn out in Ren's eyes, he wondered for a moment if the crowd had seen that too, had seen the haunted look in the kid's – Hantu! By Oma and Shu why couldn't he get it straight!?- eye. After that, the silence stretched and another shudder ran through him…

-"Tell me… Tell me why we should kill him", Hantu asked.

Ren could feel the eye scrutinizing, piercing, scouring, raking him. Spirit, what was with this boy? He was terrifying! Lost in his horror, Ren started when Hantu spoke again.

-"If he were to be a Fire-nation spy, he would be useful to us alive, am I right?" The silence was suffocating… Ren didn't think he could talk if his life depended on it –which probably was the case…

"Am I right?" He heard a low murmur of reluctant agreement coming from the crowd, he wasn't the only one unsettled by the event…

"Then, if he isn't with the Fire-nation, which I think is true, he would still be better alive, am I right?" Hantu believed he wasn't siding with the Fire-nation? - He was so relieved he didn't even think about adding the usual fierce bashing of said nation - He didn't dare risk getting his hopes up (idiom)…

"So… Explain to me, why should I kill him?" Without Ren's control, his hope bloomed, would he get out of it alive? His throat was so tight it was painful to just breathe –but he breathed, wasn't it amazing? He was alive!

"You thought you were doing right." Yeah, that was it! That was it! The kid understood, he did!

"You think a kid can't fully understand the evils of war, he can't handle leading a whole organization" Now there seemed to be something in the boy's voice, Ren couldn't identify it, he almost missed it with the sheer relief he felt, but still became a little worried.

"You think I can't be the leader the world needs, huh? You think that I can't end the war." The statement doused (A term to suggest a literal drenching with water or a dampening of the spirits. Not sure if that's the term you're looking for) him, he was such a fool for not having believed in the kid, he could do whatever he wanted, now Ren was sure of it. Wasn't he already changing the world?

"You're right. I can't." No, no, NO! He could, he could! He was maybe the only one who could!

"But all of us, together, we can. So either you join us or you can get out." Ren couldn't formulate coherent thought at that. Hantu was letting him be a part of the Revolution again? How? He tried to kill him, but…? How?

"It would be best for everyone to remember that! We need to be Fire-nation is, they act together and we all know where it led us. They won. For a hundred years." Ren looked at him in horror, but Hantu wasn't looking at him anymore, his eye was turned to the crowd, showing every kind of emotion he couldn't define.

It was true, so true, they were pushed beyond their limits by the Fire-nation, but it still wasn't enough, they still pushed, unbreakable. But sadly more and more bearable every day, more and more present, it was more and more common to see those fire-scums in the kingdom, it left a sour taste in his mouth…

It was becoming banal to lose his home and his rights…

"I won't be the cause of yet another death." It was so quiet Ren didn't think he heard it right. He was first shocked but then it hit him full force. Ren was shaken, the earthbender could barely breath, had he heard right? It wasn't the words that shocked Ren to the core, but the tone of Hantu, the sheer desperation and determination those words held…

The kid – yeah, he could call him a kid because Hantu was a kid - didn't have it in him to stop the war, he didn't have it in him to lead the Revolution to victory, and Ren didn't even think he had it in him to kill. No, he hadn't any of that, but that didn't stop him from trying.

Suddenly, Ren felt an immense respect for the kid. He now understood why the woman he met would lend her life for him in an instant.

And then, he thought, he would gladly do the same.

* * *

 _ **Okay, so thanks to KrazackLear, who accepted to betaread my story, (thank you, dude!) I'm editing this chapter (which I will reedit again anyway 'cause I**_

 _ **don't really like it...) hopefully without grammar/spelling mistakes. If you read until now, you can review! I'll give you... uh... um... my thankfulness!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_-"Prince Zuko, you are well aware of the terms of your banishment, what do you think we should do, next?" said Prince slowly turned his head toward his Uncle and glared at him. It has been 2 days since his banishment was announced and they still weren't following any particular direction, the Prince having just now been allowed out of his room by the ship's doctor._

 _One could see devotion and a great sadness in the eyes of the older man, the sadness deepening when he saw how his nephew looked at him: with barely contained anger._

 _Zuko didn't care. He was angry._

 _His Uncle knew. He had to have known it would be his father against him and not some stupid unnamed general. Thinking about it, every last one of the generals knew, how could they haven't? But none of them had said a thing._ _ **None of them**_ _. But he didn't care about them, they didn't have his trust. Except for his uncle. And he betrayed it. He betrayed_ _ **him**_ _._

 _Did he watch his father burn him with some kind of delight or was it disgust? None would shock him. If he kept saying that to himself, maybe it would become true –at least that's what he hoped because he_ _ **didn't want**_ _to care._

 _The worst thing was that the old man was currently looking sad about it… He provoked it!_

 _Or perhaps he didn't know? A doubt was creeping in his mind, did Uncle know?_

 _Maybe he could remember how he looked if he tried. He stiffened, did he really want to try? Even now he could still feel his father's fist on his face in spite of the doctor repeating again and again he wouldn't feel a damn thing on the left part of his face anymore, his nerves having been burnt down. But he could still feel it, the tears, then the rising heat and finally the suffocating pain. So much pain, so much horror and terror, so much confusion too… The worst was when the comprehension of what would be done dawned on him. The whole event was confused, he didn't remember the people, barely remembered any details at all, but this moment? When he understood what his father was going to do? It was fierce in his mind, the smirk of his father, the fist plunging toward him, his eyes so full of– Stop. Not thinking about it. Not thinking about it._

 _ **Not thinking about it.**_

 _So he didn't care, because that's where caring lead you: in the middle of the sea with nowhere to go and surrounded by unknown men all more loyal to Uncle than to him._

 _He glared at the ocean this time. The water seemed to taunt him, parting him more and more from his home-land… Home… He had no more home, now._

 _He wanted to cry, to scream, to unleash all this anger, this hatred on his uncle, on his men, on the whole world! It was unfair, so unfair! But if he did that, what would happen next? He would lose the scrap of authority he had on the ship and everything he had done would be lost…_

 _Everything he had done… But what had he done?_

…

 _What were his objectives? Find the Avatar?_

 _Then what? He returned home, embraced his father and sister, everyone smiling, saying how much they had missed each other and he kept going with his previous life? As if! That was not going to happen, he would never touch his father again after what he had done! He didn't even want to see him again!_

 _And that shocked him. He stayed a moment stuck, his uncle, forgotten, was slowly moving away, understanding he wouldn't have any answer._

 _Zuko looked at him, his gaze attracted by the movement, but he wasn't really seeing it. He hadn't wanted to see his father. He_ _ **still**_ _didn't want to see his father._

 _Oh, he wanted to pleas him, to show him he could be a good son, to earn his respect and every kind of thing he wanted before his banishment, but he didn't_ _ **want**_ _to approach him or to just_ _ **see**_ _him anymore. Just imagine his face was a torture, he was seeing again and again those eyes brimming with cruelty and this flaming fist approaching his face, closer and closer. And the smirk. He smirked. He wasn't angry, he didn't lose control, no. He wanted to do that. He wanted to burn his face down. To burn_ _ **him**_ _down. And he_ _ **smirked**_ _._

 _He felt the image shatter. The image of his family, happy at the Ember Island. Every one smiling, his father with love and amusement shining in his eyes while looking at his wife, his mother, each hand on the shoulder of one of her children, embracing them, Azula, playing revulsion but her eyes relating the opposite and him returning the embrace._

 _It was the end._

 _He would never found this happy,_ _ **banal**_ _moment again. It would never come back._

 _Everything shattered._

 _/…/_

Zuko awoke, panting. He was on his bed, breathing hard, his cheeks soaked of tears. He wiped them angrily, taking in the familiar stone around him to calm himself.

And almost laughed, still tired from his nightmarish memory. So the tomb-like cave he attributed to himself when they first came here was calming him, now? He must have been more tired than what he thought. Maybe he needed sun? Meditating was probably going to make him forget this memory.

He headed for the exit of the cavern paying just enough attention to his surrounding to gauge the dangers –He was so used to doing that by now, it was more some sort of automatism, anyway…- and remembered he had a meeting planned with the Council. His mood darkened a little. Fortunately, he had some time before this one, he could feel the sun wasn't at his highest point yet –hey, it had its perks being a firebender!– Tch… Sometimes he could swear they were doing those meeings just to annoy him, this one had been planned only a couple hour before! And now he wasn't even rested because of his nightmare…

He winced. Before now, it never had been this memory that came to disturb his sleep. He often thought about the decision he made back then, when he decided to save the forty-first division, but he was always conscious to think about it! Until now. Did what happened with Ren earlier disrupted his mind more than what he first thought?

It was absurd! People not believing in his leadership often happened, and that never bothered him more than necessary!

Well, maybe the part where the crowd roared and asked for blood was new, but he was fine with that, right?

…

… Okay, it was creepy. More than that, it was disgusting. What happened gave him the impression of leading a pack of wolf craving for blood. The worst thing was that their craving had been provoked by the suspicion of a guy being a spy of the Fire-nation… He daren't think about what would happen to a guy actually belonging to said nation…

And he felt once again that deeply anchored guilt. He could never reveal to them who he really was… Every time he felt they understood why the entire Fire-nation wasn't to be hated, something happened, men were killed or resources were stolen –often by the Fire-nation- and the hatred started again against the whole nation. During those moment he was annoyed and often thought that people were hopeless, and that the chances of winning the war with them by his side were close to zero…

He arrived at the Main Cavern. This one was larger than any other caverns, so large a town could probably fit in there, there were four different floors carved as small flying islands. He let his gaze lose itself in the cave, the view of this place, with every nation working together, always soothed him.

A great undergrounded cascade was flooding from the surface and created a small pond on each islands and formed a lake at the bottom of the cavern, creating a perfect combination of earth, water and even air, another evidence of the alliance between the nations. Zuko winced, and not any evidence of his own nation… Maybe it wouldn't lessen his mood like he hoped… While everyone was very aware of the spies he had in the Fire-nation, and that some of them were there, they probably preferred to think nothing of it and did nothing to integrate fire in this small Eden –even the light was created by the crystals which shined a strange green aura…

The ground of the cavern was where Zuko was currently on. It led to the dormitory room, the refectory, the infirmary –linked to a hospital at the surface-, the nursery, and every kind of primary needs –and not totally primary either, they had a pet shop…

The first island was stuck on the right side of the cavern, it was linked to the second one –the smallest and only one totally visible, it was actually some kind of lake in suspension- by a lot of ropes and railings, which made him thought about those in Omashu for the letters, those two islands were destined for the conception and the storing of weapons and other war-machines.

One could see only a small part of the third island while in the Main Cavern. This one was situated on the left side of the Main Cavern and leaded directly to the exit. It was reserved to those who wanted to join the resistance, it looked more like a cocoon than like an island with its roof and all the ivy which fell from it, keeping anyone in there from seeing the Main Cavern.

The fourth island was some kind of administration –Earth-kingdom loved those… Zuko 's where they traced down newcomers and knew whether letting them in or escort them to a village where they could start anew.

The guilt came back, fresh. Of course, _he_ hadn't been traced down, and that was frowned upon a lot among his allies –especially among those who barely made it. But he couldn't let them know who he was.

For them he was Hantu. The stubborn, short-tempered non-bender boy determined to put an end at the war… Or at the Fire-nation some of them thought… He shivered.

He met that boy, about a year older than him a month or so ago. The boy wanted to join the resistance with his small group of freedom fighter –as they called themselves–, solely composed of children. But they weren't able to really trace down were the group came from, except for the fact the information the children gave them seemed true; a village really was attacked by the Fire-nation where and when they described it but nothing attested they came from there.

Usually, with that kind of information nearly impossible to verify, they refused any admission, but when they were children, they couldn't lie, right? And what kind of monsters would refuse children when they had nowhere to go? That was the official version, anyway. Because Zuko was sure the genuine hatred the group's leader had shown for the Fire-nation had everything to do with their more than warm addition to their rank.

And that was disgruntling, he created the Resistance to restore the balance lost by the world, not to unbalance it further with the annihilation of his nation!

He sighted, and walked toward the exit, for once not using the 'elevator', a strange system earthbenders used to climb up walls faster. He didn't want to meet any more people than necessary, he needed to be alone.

And so started his long ascension to the surface, effectively meeting no one.

At all.

…

Maybe they were a little too depending on the earthbenders? … Yeah but they were as depending on the waterbenders to transport every kind of provisions by boats and to assure the communication between the most important part of the whole underground city… Indeed, every important room was equipped with 'tubes' were messages and object could be passed discreetly, and water was used to push the message from one room to another.

Then maybe they were too depending on benders? Zuko never really thought about how much his bending –although poor- was important in his life until he couldn't bend whenever he felt like it. But now… If, for any reason, tomorrow no one could bend anymore… He shuddered, would he survive, or would he become crazy?

He spent the rest of his journey pondering on this thought, according only a glance or a nod to the people who saluted him. When he finally arrived to the surface, the caress of the sun on his skin draw a small smile on his face and he looked at the sun. The weight on his shoulders melting at the ray of the proud fire. Agni, it seemed an eternity was spent since the last time he went out of the caves.

The enter was situated among a dense forest not too far away from a beach cluttered y a lot of stones and branches. The floods that often hit the place kept people away, and the reefs offered a considerable advantage to the Water-tribes, used to navigate surrounded by iceberg.

Zuko searched a place where no one would bother him but where he could still feel the sun on his skin. He finally opted for a place on the hillside but still close enough to the hidden enter in case something happened, and started a fire with the branches he found. He was only visible by the boats on the sea and he doubted they were going to look him closely enough to see the fire was moving with his breath.

He sat on a meditative stance, and concentrated on the fire.

 _/…/_

When he stopped his meditation, it was nearly the time for the meeting, but he still had enough time to pass in the kitchens to ask for a lunch. The cooks were aware of his habits of not eating with the rest of the people and always kept him something to eat.

It was one of the bright side of his situation, when he still was at the palace, he never were particularly fond of the family meal, too institutionalized for him, he could never be himself… Here he wasn't constraint and could eat whenever he wanted, wherever he wanted. It wasn't a great comfort but it was still something.

…

Something, yeah… He would prefer relive his Agni-Kai with his father a thousand time rather than being in this situation, without his only family…

He sighted, thinking about that wasn't going to bright his mood, he never thought about it and would left it that way as long as he could. He then left his sweet little place, taking care of erasing every evidence of his passage.

Using his natural stealth, he crept in the cavern going unnoticed by the three guards. He should probably rebuke them for that, but he still didn't want to talk to anyone so he would wait for that –but he still took note of who were the three guards, he was a leader, he needed to act as one.

He demanded his meal to the kitchen and ate it rapidly. He then headed at a slow pace toward the Council Chamber.

 _/…/_

They currently were in the Council Chamber, a little room with bare walls and a table and six chairs in the center.

Pakku looked at his fellow-worker, Bumi, the king of Omashu, who was looking at the wall with interest, laughing maniacally; Jeong Jeong who was… meditating, eyes closed, on a chair in front of him with a fire-nation guy who was there in Piandao's name at his left. He liked them but the more he spent time with them, the more he thought, maybe the war was affecting them more than they ever thought.

With the great loss they all suffered last year, Bumi seemed to have become a little crazier –yes it was possible…–, less and less affected by what surrounded him; and, if what he heard from some Earth-kingdom inhabitant was true he was more and more eccentric in his way of leading them; he, for instance, made a giant statue of wood of the former king of Omashu and buried a part of it under every doors of his town for the 'change to come'… Jeong Jeong was also isolating himself more and more. To meditate, apparently. But his illness went far deeper than any grief, he confided to Pakku he thought the fire he produced was some kind of demon he couldn't get rid of, and while Pakku wasn't really fond of fire and Fire-nation, he considered his own bending as a benediction, that his friend wasn't doing the same, was destabilizing; the bending was a gift from the spirit, it couldn't be rejected! Piandao was the only one who didn't seem really affected by their loss, but Pakku knew otherwise. He never thought he would see this nobleman cry one day…

They really were pathetic… Everyone had lost a loved one during this war so had they –before last year. Excepted, this time, no one expected it. He seemed so reliable, so untouchable, friend with anyone, sly as a seal-fox… Maybe too clever for his own good…

But it's thanks to his death they were here today, waiting for the only missing person for the emergence Council to start… Pakku sighted, would this brat ever be there on time?

All of sudden, said brat seemed to materialize in the room, and only all his years to keep a straight face kept him from start. He _**hated**_ when he was doing that! And he couldn't even say anything to the teen because of the fire-nation guy present who wasn't aware of their little… secret. Humpf, he was already annoyed and the meeting hadn't even begun, yet…

-"You're late." He said, keeping his voice neutral. The teen glared at him, a smirk stretched the waterbender's lips. Maybe he could still have fun; seeing the anger in his eye would be fun. His lips stretched further and he added: "Again."

The reaction was almost immediate, the squirt looked at him, his eye becoming a mere slit.

-"I'm not late." He hissed slowly, his voice reflecting the boiling rage he conveyed thought his eyes. Pakku knew he was trying hard to keep himself from bending. He laughed, the brat was so easily thrown off guard, it was a wonder he kept his identity secret so long!

-"Enough Pakku, we didn't came here to play your little games." Jeong Jeong was watching him with a reprimanding air. Humpf, in those moment he really missed their common friend. "And he is right on time." Firebenders and their connection to the sun… Annoying.

-"Sorry, I don't have your kind of… punctuality." He said with as much disdain as he could muster. Which earned him a glare from the two firebenders and a confused look from the non-banished fire citizen. "But you are right, of course, why did you gather us here today, dear Deserter?" And he really had to have a damn good reason, because his return had been delayed by a day because of this meeting! Arnook will want a better explanation than 'sorry, there was a meeting to please an old man's whim' this time.

-"I gathered you here to talk about what happened yesterday." Pakku felt the brat at his side stiffened, Teruo, Piandao's ambassador looked at the ground, agreeing silently with the fire master, Bumi didn't seem really affected by the information –although he wasn't laughing anymore– and he himself frowned.

-"Are we talking about the incident with the earthbender?" They really were retaining him for something so _**common**_? No one approved of the brat's leadership, not even him, but evidences were there, he would drown himself before actually saying it out loud, but the little squirt was good with his self-attributed task and was doing a good job at refraining any rebellion; What was wrong?

-"Yes, there is a problem, it's more than clear." Answered the Deserter, looking at his student.

-"No, it's not. I don-

-I agree with Master Jeong Jeong." Did the brat just cut him off in the middle of his sentence?! Pakku was going to retort when he met his eye, flaming with determination and sorrow. Clearly, it would be wiser to let him talk. Silent but not quieted, the waterbender decided to let the squirt speak his mind.

"I know what you'll say; it happened before and it will happen later, but he hurt someone, Pakku." He inspired, "He hurt someone and the crowd became enraged, they wanted me to kill him. To _**kill**_ him!" Was it some kind of desperation in his voice? Maybe he wasn't as strong as the waterbender first thought… That was quite disappointing.

-"We are at war, killing is a part of the game." He said coldly. "If you want to delude yourself, go on. But being at war mean being ready to kill. No one asked for you to be here, the White Lotus was fine before you came ruining our plan. Accept it, or clear out."

The brat raised, fists closed, teeth clenched, hatred, sorrow and rage radiating from his eye.

-"What plan? The one where you wait for that Avatar no one heard a thing about for a hundred year to come and save the day? And _**I**_ am the one deluding myself?! You're crazy, old man! Crazy and _**scared**_ because what _**I**_ am doing you wish you could have done it a while ago but you were never brave enough! And now you become aware you're not controlling _**any**_ thing, that you're just one of those hare-hyena laughing and screaming on everything but barely good enough to run away when something a little too big come its way! You're pitiful, old man, you heard me? _**Pitiful**_!"

The fallen prince was fuming against the cold glare of the waterbending master.

No one dared move. The silence was suffocating for what seemed to be an eternity.

Then, slowly, Jeong Jeong, both hands on the table, eyes hard, looked at the two benders now mere feet away from each other.

-"There is only one way to settle this problem." The tension stepped up a notch, while the two angry men were still watching each other. "A duel."

 **/**

 **Thanks for those who reviewed**

 **For those who didn't… No news is good news so I'll assume you liked the first chapter and found it so excellent you forgot to put a review or to favorite/follow it! (I'm not deluding myself, what are you talking about?)**

 **Once again sorry for my … more than imperfect English ^^' I promise I will correct what I can**


End file.
